I landed in Rome just in time for lunch....because that's the way I roll. I like hitting the ground in Italy in need of food. There's so much to choose from and most of it is pretty darn good. Today's lunch was one of those fantastic bargain treats. I was actually on my way elsewhere to grab a favorite slice of pizza, when I passed a crowd gathered outside a fresh pasta shop. "Hey! I know that place", I thought to myself. Last time I was in town, I specifically sought out this pasta shop for its bargain daily special only to be disappointed to find it closed, and its windows covered with official-looking documents which I was unable to decipher.
Yet, here it was, open again! I decided I better get in line to see what was up. So here's the deal. You belly up to the bar, hand over 4 euros, and get a plastic plate filled with pasta. Today, there was a choice between rigatoni carbonara or linguine with tomato sauce and eggplant. My friend got one, and I got the other, and we traded plates halfway through our meal. There are big bottles of cold water available on the counter along with plastic cups, and they hand you a packet with plastic cutlery and a napkin when you pay for your meal. It's like a picnic....with nowhere to sit.
We did a short trek to a nearby set of stairs so we could sit and enjoy our meal. The rigatoni carbonara pictured above was particularly delicious. At home, I weigh my pasta....56 grams per person. This was decidedly more than 56 grams.....covered in eggs, bacon and cheese. Seriously, does it get any better than that? For 4 euros?!
The rest of the day, I had several appointments and errands to run. As I made my way about the city, I stopped now and then to take a few snapshots of scenes I enjoyed. I hope you enjoy them as well:
Yet, here it was, open again! I decided I better get in line to see what was up. So here's the deal. You belly up to the bar, hand over 4 euros, and get a plastic plate filled with pasta. Today, there was a choice between rigatoni carbonara or linguine with tomato sauce and eggplant. My friend got one, and I got the other, and we traded plates halfway through our meal. There are big bottles of cold water available on the counter along with plastic cups, and they hand you a packet with plastic cutlery and a napkin when you pay for your meal. It's like a picnic....with nowhere to sit.
We did a short trek to a nearby set of stairs so we could sit and enjoy our meal. The rigatoni carbonara pictured above was particularly delicious. At home, I weigh my pasta....56 grams per person. This was decidedly more than 56 grams.....covered in eggs, bacon and cheese. Seriously, does it get any better than that? For 4 euros?!
The rest of the day, I had several appointments and errands to run. As I made my way about the city, I stopped now and then to take a few snapshots of scenes I enjoyed. I hope you enjoy them as well:
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And since we started with food....let's end with food. Gelato, that is!
The gelato at this place is amazing! On the left is peach with wine, and on the right is fresh mint with chocolate. Yes, you read that correctly....Fresh Mint....chopped Fresh Mint. It is SO GOOD! There's not a better way to end a day in Rome is there? Well....actually, another friend made me a batch of her homemade eggplant Parmesan and we shared a bottle of primitivo with it. So, that was pretty darn good too. Life in Rome.
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